1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a content processing device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a content processing device that outputs an audio signal.
2. Background Information
With a conventional television device, a video signal of content is displayed on a display of the television device, and an audio signal of the content is outputted as monaural audio or stereo audio from an internal speaker in the television device, or is outputted as multi-channel audio (e.g., surround audio) from external speakers in accordance with a setting of the television device (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008-61251 and 2008-28950, for example).
More recently, in European digital television broadcasts, it has been stipulated that a plurality of kinds of audio signals (e.g., a plurality of audio types of audio signals) be superimposed in a broadcast signal. FIG. 5 illustrates a description of a component descriptor. FIG. 6 illustrates a list of stream contents and component types.
In European digital broadcast standard ETSI EN 101 154 (Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB); Specification for the user of Video and Audio Coding in Broadcasting Applications based on the MPEG-2 Transport Stream), a plurality of codecs have been stipulated, such as MPEG-1, HE-AAC, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus. In European digital broadcast standard ETSI EN 300 468 (Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB); Specification for Service Information (SI) in DVB Systems), component descriptors for describing each codec and channel number are stipulated, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
With the conventional television device, whether or not it meets the above-mentioned European digital broadcast standards, an audio signal to be outputted has to be selected every time a broadcast signal that includes a plurality of kinds of audio signals is received. Also, the kinds of audio signals superimposed in the broadcast signal vary with the broadcast station and the program. Accordingly, when the user connects a surround system to the conventional television device, such as a television receiver, and mainly listens to a surround audio, the user has to select the surround audio every time, which makes audio selection more complicated.
Another problem is that even if the broadcast signal does not include the surround audio, or if the user decides to listen to monaural/stereo audio, the kind of audio signal has to be selected each time.